Best Lab Equipment

Here are some more information for Plate Lab Hot:

Autoclaves, whether they are large autoclaves or smaller instruments are designed to subject items to steam at a temperature of at least 121 degrees C at high pressure in order to sterilize them. The heat and pressure effectively eliminates bacteria, viruses and other pathogens and these devices are used extensively in laboratories and medical facilities in the preparation of culture media for microbiology and other life sciences applications, to sterilize laboratory glassware, medical instruments and to decontaminate potentially hazardous medical waste before disposal.

These are the sterilization equipment of choice in laboratories and hospitals. Autoclaves are also used in veterinary medicine, dentistry, research and development for pharmaceutical and food production facilities. Large autoclaves and units of smaller sizes may be used anywhere else that sterilization of equipment is critical to ensuring the outcome of the process, the safety of personnel or the public, such as in businesses which provide tattooing and body piercing services.

One of the concerns seen with autoclaving materials to sterilize them for use in life sciences laboratories is that the heat, moisture and pressure involved in the process of sterilization used by autoclaves may cause some degradation. This is especially a concern with media used for culturing microorganisms, since some of these media may be thermolabile and can potentially affect their performance negatively or even render them unusable. With the latest generation of large autoclaves as well as those of smaller capacities, this is less of a concern as manufacturers have engineered these newer models to be able to run at settings which provide thorough sterilization without causing a significant reduction in performance or usability of heat sensitive materials.

The pressurized steam used in autoclaving provides a much more efficient means of sterilization than would be possible with the application of heat alone or hot air, which is an especially inefficient way to sterilize. Since steam at the temperatures typically seen in autoclaves (around 134 degrees C) can sterilize equipment in only a few minutes as opposed to 2 hours being needed when using air at a temperature of 160 degrees C, ensuring that the interior of the device is free of air is essential. In modern large autoclaves, air may be removed through the action of the steam creating downward displacement on the air (which is denser than steam) and forcing it out of the unit through a drain. A vacuum pump is also used in some autoclaves.

Autoclaves are also seen in use in some industrial applications where parts and materials need to be thoroughly sterilized during the production process, this is relatively common in industries working with high performance composite materials, particularly in the aerospace sector. Due to the sheer size of some of these components, especially large autoclaves may be needed to accommodate them. Safety is always a matter of concern with these pressure sterilization devices, especially so with an extremely large unit. These larger devices in particular need to be designed to provide a very secure closure and feature highly reinforced walls which can withstand the rigors of regular, often round the clock use.

Autoclaves of all sizes provide thorough elimination of pathogens, ensuring the safety of medical devices, reducing the biohazard threat posed by medical and veterinary waste and allow for more accurate results in laboratory procedures. The number of accidental infections prevented by the use of large autoclaves and small make them unsung heroes of medical science and public health.

Take a look at other relevant information from Andrew Long including laboratory autoclave products as well as autoclaves and other large autoclave products.

An Undersea Lab Used for Outer Space

The only underwater laboratory in the world is located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This underwater lab is located more than three miles offshore at a depth of 63 feet. It is attached to a base plate which secures the laboratory about 13 feet off the bottom of the sea. The laboratory is known as Aquarius and is owned as a joint venture between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of North Carolina.

Scientists live and work inside the habitat when they are not exploring outside on the adjacent coral reefs. Entry to the module is through the "wet porch," which contains an open moon pool, dive equipment storage areas, hot water heater, and shower. There are two main compartments in the Aquarius module. The "entry lock" contains space for computers and experiments, power equipment, life support controls, small view ports, and bathroom facilities. The largest living space is in the "main lock" which is designed for a six-person crew. This area has computer work stations, two large view ports, and kitchen facilities. The kitchen facilities include a microwave, instant hot water dispenser, refrigerator, sink, dining, and work areas. The main lock also contains life support controls, so both the entry and main locks can be independently pressurized.

Since the early 1990s scientists have lived in the lab and explored the deep ocean in missions that can extend up to ten days in length. The laboratory is at a depth which requires 17 hours of depressurization for divers who stay down for more than a couple of hours. Scientists use a special technique called "saturation diving." Saturation diving refers to a condition involving a diver who is underwater for several hours. After this time, the diver's blood becomes saturated with gases. The diver will require the same amount of time for depressurization whenever he or she comes up to the surface.

Using Aquarius, the diver does not have to resurface and depressurize and can explore for days under water. Therefore, the module provides tremendous time savings for researchers. Scientists living in Aquarius can do work in days which would require weeks to accomplish if they had to dive from the surface. Research scientists usually stay for about 10 days in the Aquarius module doing research before they slowly return to the surface.

The scientists living in Aquarius have observed that life in the module is like living in an aquarium. Fish peer in every port hole and the adjoining coral reef is a habitat to many different varieties of fish. Aquarius is connected to the world above the ocean by a wire secured to the top of a 30-foot buoy on the surface that connects the laboratory to Key Largo. This connection allows the scientists to send an educational underwater video program of each mission across the Internet.

The laboratory has been home to close to 100 deep underwater missions since the early 1990s. The undersea lab's environment is very similar to conditions found on the International Space Station. This has provided NASA with a venue to do research about conditions involving moonwalks and to test concepts designed to be used in future space exploration.

During a recent mission, called NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), participants practiced new long-distance medical techniques to keep space travelers healthy. Doctors thousands of miles away guided the aquanauts as they performed surgeries on a patient simulator. Also, doctors used virtual reality technology to guide simulated surgery by robots. The procedures simulated what one day may be used to respond to emergencies on the International Space Station, the Moon, or in long distance space flights to Mars. The aquanauts also walked on the ocean floor to simulate the lunar surface. This exercise used high-tech breathing helmets and weights to improve mobility and balance in conditions that were equivalent to the Moon's. NASA has also used Aquarius for astronauts to simulate living in the International Space Station.

Aquarius will continue to be a valuable research facility for NASA for the lunar and Mars missions in the years to come. In addition, Aquarius provides an important research venue to explore the mysteries of the undersea world on Earth. Indeed, the missions involving the Aquarius laboratory are providing the necessary research and experimentation for the conquest of man's next unexplored frontiers, under the sea and outer space.

About the Author

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events.
Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com

Why did the penny turn gold?

we did a lab in chemestry a few weeks ago, and we cleaned a penny put them in a solution on a hot plate then over they turned gold, whats the chemesrty behind it?

Wow this many bad answers and one close answer. Modern pennies are zinc with a copper coating (because otherwise a penny would cost more than one cent to make).

The solution contained Zinc and Sodium Hydroxide. When you boil it, the zinc in the solution reacts with the copper coating to form brass.

That's all it is. It isn't gold, just brass.

Its a fun experiment though.

New energy source from the common pea: Scientists create a solar energy device from a plant protein structure
Isolating the minute crystals of the PSI super complex from the pea plant, a biochemistry researcher suggests these crystals can be illuminated and used as small battery chargers or form the core of more efficient man-made solar cells.

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